Break the mold? Break the form?
IT IS TOO BIG --- WE ARE TOO LITTLE
NO WAY HOSEA, WE DON’T HAVE A CHANCE!
YOU CAN IF YOU WANT TO --- DO YOU WANT TO?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying
the power thereof: from such turn away.
TO HELP ILLUSTRATE THIS LESSON:
I use a mold, a Jello mold, I use a glass of water, a box of Jello, and a box of Plaster of Paris.
I pour the water into the mold, and then discuss the path of least resistance that water will always take.
Then we discuss the form or mold that the Jello will take when cool.
I have already poured the Plaster of Paris into the mold, and it is dry and set in it’s form.
There is only one way to change the form of the Plaster of Paris?
BREAK IT?
GOD LOVES YOU, GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU!
TEXT:
Psalm 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
I. DO WE REALIZE WE HAVE ALLOWED LIFE AND TIME TO DEVELOP A HABITUAL MINDSET --- AND THE WORDS THAT WE SAY HAVE CONSEQUENCES?
2 Tim. 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
A. MOLD:
THE FRAME AROUND WHICH OBJECTS ARE FORMED OR CONSTRUCTED.
The cavity in which a substance is shaped.
An example to be followed.
A fixed pattern.
Nature made him and then broke the mold?
THE MOLD OF A MAN’S NATURE IS IN HIS OWN HANDS.
B. FORM:
To give form and shape.
To arrange in order, often by a sense of priority.
Pattern of reaction.
External appearance.
An established method of expression or proceeding.
Procedure according to rule.
A reaction by set order of words.
Conduct regulated by some other control.
A manner or style of conduct as tested by previous accepted standards.
A MOLD IN WHICH SOMETHING IS SET.
A method of arrangement in how to do.
C. One meaning of Form is the past performance of a race horse.
II. ANGER AND WRATH, LONG TERM ANGER, HAS A LASTING EFFECT ON THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEART OF EVERY BELIEVER.
A. Our emotions can play games with our mind and heart.
B. Then our emotions have a way of launching words.
C. Words become habitual traps.
Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself;
for thou that judgest doest the same things.
2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment
of God;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
III. BY WHAT ATTITUDE DO WE APPROACH THE HOLIDAYS? THE SEASONS? THE PROBLEMS WE DAILY FACE?
A. Where do we find pleasure in life?
What are our passions?
How do we hide our prejudices? Judgmentalness?
B. What drives us?
What desires do we feed?
C. Do you have a plan to refresh and renew your heart and love?
IV. THERE ARE MANY GREAT DANGERS THAT CHRISTIANS FACE.
ONE OF THE GREATEST DANGERS IS THAT WE LEARN TO REACT TO PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF ACT. ARE WE BOUND BY THE PITFALLS AROUND US?
A. WHAT DO WE DO WHEN THE RED SEA IS IN FRONT OF US AND PHAROAH’S MIGHTY ARMY IS CLOSING UP THE RANKS BEHIND US?
WE NEED NOT REACT WITH WORDS AND UNDERMINDING AUTHORITY?
WE MUST ACT BY TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN.
B. What do we do when Jezebeel, the King’s wife has vowed to have our hide nailed to the wall?
WE NEED NOT REACT --- WE NEED TO ACT BY FAITH.
C. How will we react when the Preacher does not even come out to see us, and then has the nerve to tell us to go dip in the dirtiest river in the area?
WE NEED NOT REACT --- WE NEED TO ACT!
D. What will you do when there is a giant making fun of you and your God?
Will you listen to him twice a day for forty days?
Will you react to his 80 negative messages and cry in your tent?
OR WILL YOU ACT IN FAITH?
We need the training of facing the bear and the lion to prepare us for what God has planned?
Before Goliath --- David was a shepherd boy?
After Goliath the songs the women sang changed.
E. A MIRACLE WAS IN THE WINGS, THE REACTION WAS LORD: DON’T YOU GET IT?
JOHN 11:14 LAZARUS IS DEAD!
HE HAS BEEN IN THE GRAVE FOUR DAYS, HE STINKS BY NOW?
Jesus says: IF THOU WOULDEST BELIEVE!
Let us not react, let us act by faith?
V. TRUE OR FALSE? THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND LIFE HAS A WAY OF DRYING YOU UP?
WE HAVE THE TENDANCY TO FOREVER FOCUS ON THE PROBLEMS AND THE WEAKNESSES OF THE DESERT INSTEAD OF THE JOY OF THE JOURNEY!
OFTEN OUR MENTAL IMAGE AND PROJECTION WILL NEVER FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO AND THE DIVINE POSSIBILITIES THAT GOD HAS PLANNED FOR US!
A. Want to do a sad study of the Bible?
B. See how many times God’s people murmured about the man of God? The plan of God?
Or even God Himself?
THEY MURMURED ABOUT MOSES AND HIS WIFE.
They murmured about the Red Sea before them and Pharoah behind them.
They murmured wanting water, and then the water was bitter.
They murmured wanting bread.
They murmured wanting meat.
They murmured about having so much it makes them sick.
They murmur about only getting an omer of manna.
Numbers 11:4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
C. DO WE REMEMBER SLAVERY AND NO HOPE?
DO WE FOCUS ON TEMPORARL THINGS? OR ETERNAL THINGS?
Numbers 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
VI. THE DESERT HAS A WAY ---
IT IS NOT A TRUE STATEMENT WHEN THE GOING GETS TUFF, THE TUFF GET GOING.
John 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
A. I TRAVELED SIX YEARS PLAYING MUSIC.
I HAVE BEEN A SCHOOL TEACHER SIX YEARS.
I HAVE PASTORED 25 YEARS FULL TIME.
I HAVE AN HONEST OBSERVATION ---
WHEN THE GOING GETS TUFF --- THE TUFF QUIT!
B. DESERT:
HOT, DRY, lonely, lent to cause dread and fear.
Barrren, not supporting, devoid of life,
a forbidding area, desolate, forsaken,
D. DESERT:
To withdraw with no intent of returning.
To abandon.
To quit your post of duty.
Hebrews 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
E. WHAT IS PROVOCATION?
To incite to anger.
To stir up on purpose.
VII. VALUE OF TRADITION MORE THAN THE NEED OF A MAN?
IS THE GIFT MORE VALUABLE THAN THE GIVER?
DO WE HAVE MISPLACED PRIORITIES?
Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters
of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
A. I never cared for the commercial where the individual looked on the back of their card to see what kind of card and the price of the card they received.
I rather look at the words, I love when a friend underlines the meaningful words, but more than that the hand written words of encouragement are
worth more than the card.
B. We can fuss of orchids instead of enjoying the rose?
We can fuss over the thorns of the rose, and miss the moment.
C. I often say at funerals, listen to this arrangement of flowers, what is it saying?
What is the food really saying? Feed your belly? Or I love and respect you in your time of trouble.
CAN WE HEAR LOVE?
Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
VIII. A HARD HEART IS A KISSING COUSIN OF DOUBT!
Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they
believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
A. WILL WE PAY ATTENTION TO THE 10 NEGATIVE SPIES? CAN WE?
OR WILL WE GIVE CREDANCE TO THE TWO THAT SAYS: WE CAN!
YES, WE CAN, LET US NOW GO UP AT ONCE?
B. We must learn to guard our hearts and keep them kind and tender.
C. I love the saying of Stanislaw Lee:
HE WHO LIMPS IS STILL WALKING.
IX. I SERVE A GOD THAT LOOKS BEYOND MY FAULTS AND STUPIDITY, AND LOVES ME THE WAY THAT I AM AND WILL GROW ME INTO HIS PLAN AND POSSIBILITIES.
A. This problem is but an opportunity.
B. The fiery furnace did not hurt the three Hebrew boys.
It burned off the ropes that bound them.
C. JOSHUA AND CALEB still walked in the Promise Land, after all the negative words.
Caleb asked of Joshua --- GIVE ME MY MOUNTAIN.
D. DO THE CIRCUMSTANCES PROVOKE AND TAUNT YOU?
ARE YOU A LOOSER BEFORE THE GAME STARTS?
E. THERE IS A ROOM ABOVE THE CLASS ROOM,
IT IS CALLED THE UPPER ROOM.
In the Upper Room we find the very presence of the Most High and Holy God.
F. A positive thought, a positive attitude, a positive word, a positive action may not change the world today --- but it may annoy enough people to make it
worth while!
XI. COURAGE DOES NOT ALWAYS ROAR, --- SOMETIMES REAL COURAGE IS THE QUIET THOUGHT AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT WILL SAY:
I WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW!
Ephes. 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
A. Good experience is not always what happens to a person.
It may be what happens within the person, it is what a person does with what happens to him.
B. A good family is an incredible act of hope.
C. You can not legislate or write enough books to make people do good. You can only LOVE, motivate, and inspire.
The very foundation of the church is KINDNESS.
D. Often times we find great theological debates are no more than a place
to hide from a real encounter with God.
IT IS HIGH TIME TO IDENTIFY THE GRASSHOPPER SPIRIT AND KILL IT!
A. TWO WORDS:
CAN GOD?
GOD CAN!
WHOSE REPORT WILL WE BELIEVE?
Psalm 68:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
B. Will we give God the building permit to grow us, to build us into His?
C. To do nothing means we have NO FAITH.
To do little means we have LITTLE FAITH.
Arise O God, and do great things in us!
D. God expects you to do what you can do, then God will come and do what we can not do!
YOU CAN IF YOU WANT TO --- DO YOU WANT TO?
Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of a battle, and you can help them.
E. YOU DON’T WORK OUT YOUR PROBLEMS AND COME TO GOD,
YOU COME TO GOD AND HE HELPS YOU WORK OUT THE PROBLEMS.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me please? Pass it on?
